


Please

by PunkPlaidKitty



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Aromantic, Aromantic Awareness Week, Aromantic Loki, Aromantic Tony Stark, Demiromantic, Feels, Hugs, Loki (Marvel) Feels, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, M/M, References to BDSM, Relationship Discussions, Revelations, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Trust Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Trust Issues, aspec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 22:28:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29740821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PunkPlaidKitty/pseuds/PunkPlaidKitty
Summary: Tony doesn't say 'please' for just anyone.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Comments: 3
Kudos: 71





	Please

**Author's Note:**

  * For [STARSdidathing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/STARSdidathing/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Ask Nicely](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29295963) by [STARSdidathing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/STARSdidathing/pseuds/STARSdidathing). 



> Alright! I did it! I wrote a whole fic! My first comment rant turned whole fic. PPKdidathing lmao. Happy late STARSiversary present Stars ;P

It's morning in the Avengers kitchen. Tony has been up obsessively working on a new project. It’s not a particularly healthy habit to stay up longer than twenty-four hours, he knows, but he gets his best work done during long stretches of hyperfocusing. He knows it's time for him to sleep, his eyes are weary, the mania is wearing off. He promises he’ll go to bed right after a quick cup of coffee.

Loki's not having it.

It’s a debate they’ve had before (not _quite_ an argument, though Tony is emotionally attached enough to his coffee to have caught himself raising his voice a bit before refusing to continue on the topic any further). He isn’t supposed to put undue stress on his heart. Which considering his side job as an international superhero is sorta difficult to accomplish. Bruce insists cutting back wherever he can will help, (“I’m kind of an expert on stress, Tony.”) 

Loki demands that Tony rest; he can have coffee when he wakes up. “I’ll even make it for you and bring it to you,” he offers.

Steve and Nat try to mind their business buttering toast and pouring orange juice, content to be invisible to the quarrel. Getting involved with a cranky Tony was never desirable. Loki was either brave or a fool. They had yet to figure out which.

“That’s just another trick to keep me in bed longer,” Tony countered. He knew Loki was doing his best to come to a compromise. He’s been working on meeting halfway with these things too... But right now his soul just really needed some coffee, even if that meant he wouldn't be able to fall asleep right away.

“Pleeease Lokiii? Just lemme have this one. I’ve been good! I haven’t had caffeine in _eighteen hours_ ,” he lamented with an exaggerated whine. 

Nat spills a bit of juice and Steve chokes on his bite of toast. Loki is both blindsided and a bit embarrassed. And Tony felt every ounce the brat he was being for pulling his trump card like that.

Tony doesn't say "please" to anyone else in his life. He's Earth’s most successful business mogul. People just do what he says out of either fear or professional respect. Loki on the other hand _doesn't_ do what Tony says. Loki is in control most of the time—which as it turns out is desirable for Loki too. His own background as second prince constantly forced him to defer to the crown, and as merely an advisor he held no true power. It's a perfect dynamic for the two of them, a reprieve they each were sorely lacking in their lives. It's a delicate balance that takes continuous work and trust between them to maintain. Not to mention ample communication...something that neither of them had much of a good track record for. But communicating with one another, just, clicked for them? 

During one such intimate session, Tony had really wanted something. But he trusted Loki to hold control and was very much enjoying himself, so he didn't want to safeword and break the mood. Besides, having a 'conversation' just really wasn’t their style. So instead, he let out a meek, "please?" And that? Oh, that lit a spark between them. Loki's brain short-circuited at being asked permission, at being _begged_ by the most powerful man on midgard. He could barely process that Tony had said what he’d said. Tony, surprised at how good of a reaction he got, said it again. Whined, played it up even more, ever the goading brat pushing buttons just to have fun. Loki gave into Tony's request with gusto, flushed and head spinning. 

They didn’t need to talk about it afterwards. How much pure trust in Loki that Tony conveyed in that moment. How Tony trusted Loki to understand what he was communicating. How he trusted Loki to see him at his most vulnerable. How Tony’s pride was miraculously unafflicted. How Tony saying “please" was the most intimate and special gift he could give.

“Please” became a word of passion for them, and it also became Tony's playful trump card. 

In general, Tony likes to play along with Loki's challenges, tries to hold out and win fair and square. Often Loki wins and Tony loses himself and floats under Loki's dominance. But sometimes it's more fun to play that trump card, poke fun at pouty sore-loser Loki, to goof around, light-hearted and happy. Sometimes Tony isn't able to handle complete submission and uses his most pleasurable out in order to remind himself he still has some control. Sometimes he just wants the reassurance and warm fuzzies that come with the blatant evidence that Loki is utterly smitten with him. Loki understands that Tony is vulnerable when he says "please"; it's always some form of intimate moment by virtue of such. 

It means the world to both of them.

Privately.

"You insistent mortal,” he huffed. “You’ve made your point. You’ll clearly do anything for your crippling vices." Loki rolls his eyes making a show of being exasperated to mask his reaction while pouring a mug of black gold for Tony, but not without subtly communicating his concern for Tony’s ‘crippled mortal constitution.’ 

Tony looks up at the other occupants of the kitchen. Steve immediately averts his eyes, embarrassed by his own dramatic reaction, while Nat returns a shrewd, calculating look but says nothing.

When Loki notices the reactions of the others around them, he is a bit confused. He assumes they are shocked because Tony said "please" to _him_. Or that Tony would be so publicly vulnerable. Or vulnerable with Loki. Or maybe that cold, uncaring Loki would be so soft and giving in so quickly. Or maybe even that Tony had gone so long without caffeine. As he's musing, Tony's been inhaling the steam from his mug and taking tiny sips, refusing to wait for the coffee to cool to a more drinkable temperature. His soul is becoming more sated and calm already. Now he realizes what he just said in front of everyone—how exposed he feels so suddenly. He closes off his radiating warm happiness for a much more guarded posture. The shift pulls Loki out of his thoughts, his focus immediately back to Tony's mental welfare.

"What?" Tony prompts pointedly.

Nat offers dismissal.

Tony feels defensive. He's worn. It shortens his fuse.

"No, really. What? What was that reaction all about?" he accuses in Steve's direction as Nat gives up nothing, and Steve's eyes are still watering from his little choking fit.

"No– *cough* nothing *ahem* nothing at all. Was just a little startled is all. *AKeHUm* Please, excuse me I—" Steve realized what he'd said a second too late after it had come out of his own stupid mouth. "Oh god.." Natasha muttered under her breath.

"Oh fuck off, asshole."

Tony's fuming as he storms out of the kitchen. Loki catches up with him in the bedroom, his expression is still overwhelmed with concern for Tony. He knows his lover has a temper. Typically he'd be the one to take control in this kind of situation. Enable Tony to relax, to decompress after an argument with the Captain; they often butt heads. But Loki couldn't help but feel that now was not the time to hold Tony's control for him.

Loki hesitantly makes his way to sit on the edge of the bed. Tony is already completely under the covers, trying desperately to encase himself in comfort and protection from stimuli. So Loki holds back the hand that wants to squeeze the quilted knee by his hip. He waits patiently for Tony, listening to his purposeful breathing as he tries to slow his heart rate. Watches the tented covers lift with each inhale, and drop with each exhale. He has time to consider what this altercation centered around, and yet he still can't determine any obvious cause. He is clearly missing some vital information here.

"Anthony? Why did they react as if…?" Loki trails off in the smallest voice Tony has ever heard from him. Tony pulls down the blanket and tries to catch eye contact. Loki's worry is a powerful foe that requires handling with care. 

"No no, Lo’, stop right there," he sighs. "They reacted as if they didn't know it was possible for me to ever willingly say 'please' in my life." 

Loki finally looks up fully at hearing this, and it bolsters Tony's resolve to explain something he's never exposed out loud. God he hates 'conversations'.

"Well, so, I was always kind of a rich, spoiled brat," he starts with a bit of a lopsided attempt at a smile. He wants to lighten the mood. He wishes Loki would roll his eyes. But he doesn't. Loki's eyes stay concerned and focused, fully respecting the vulnerability of the moment. 

Of course he does. The bastard.

It gives Tony the confidence to continue.

"I never needed to say 'please', things were just placed at my feet. People did what I wanted. 'Please' was a waste of time when I was going to get what I wanted anyway." He wanted so desperately to look away. He felt so much shame from his past, but Loki held his gaze unwaveringly.

"I pled for my life in Afghanistan. I pled for Yinsin's life. My pleas meant nothing. I was still tortured. Yinsin still died. 'Please' has never meant anything to me.

“Cap has tried to 'instill proper manners' in me, a bunch of 'setting a good example' bullshit, 'be more respectful to people' 'quit acting like you expect people to just do whatever you say without question'," he rolls his eyes and sighs.

"I told him I'm not a Nazi for not saying 'please'. That sure started an argument." He wanted Loki to chuckle at that. But he didn't. He simply sat, listening, waiting for Tony to finish the explanation, and taking it all in with the grace of a prince hearing an audience.

Tony let out a deep sigh, continuing, "So I don't say 'please', Lo'. Not unless I'm with you..."

Loki was in such a state of pure shock that he didn’t know how to respond. He was unused to how off the mark his rationalizations had been. And then the depth of Tony’s words started to sink in. 

“I… What?” Loki’s brain was trying to catch up, it really was. 

“Well, yeah, I mean, it’s not like I’m anywhere near as close to another living being as I am to you, Lokes. I let you tie me up for Christ’s sake. There’s no way you could possibly misconstrue how much you mean to me. I have more issues than the New York Times. I don’t trust, ya’know? ‘Cept for when I’m with you…”

“I… I don’t know what to say. This is… a lot to process.” Loki seemed frozen, every cell in his brain busy with the insurmountable task of comprehending the impossible. 

Tony lets out an uncertain laugh, trying desperately to hold his anxiety at bay, managing only due to his own incredulity. “What? Surely this isn’t some revolutionary news. I mean, maybe for the others. They’re not as attentive as you are of course. No one is more perceptive than you are Lokes. Well, Nat’s a close second, but she isn’t the person taking care of my every intimate need of course so it would be news to her I guess. Though sometimes she gives me these _looks_ ya’know? But I think she’s just trying to get me to think that she knows something in order to get me to confide in her. Too bad for her, I’m more antitrust than Teddy Roosevelt.

“But I mean, _obviously_ I trust _you_ , Lo’. I’m safe when I’m with you. And I know I always will be, no matter what might we get up to.” He realized he was rambling and forced himself to breathe. “I thought that’s why you got off so much on me saying ‘please’?” 

“I suppose I’ve always known that you trust me, ever since we started… becoming close,” Loki began. “You’re right in assuming that I had observed that the way you are when we are alone together is much more vulnerable than you would ever allow yourself to be with anyone else on the team… But to say that you only ever say ‘please’ to _me?_ Surely you’ve at least said ‘please’ to Colonel Rhodes...or Pepper?” Loki’s brow scrunched, his eyes were in close to a squint while he was trying to imagine a different reality than the one he had thought he was living in.

“....No.. No, Lokes… Never have I ever.” Tony emphasized his point by holding his palm up to his lover in innocence, and then putting a finger down because it’s who he is to be a little shit in times of emotional discomfort. He’s not sure if Loki got the reference, but it did help ease his own tension a bit.

Loki looked up into his brown eyes, seeing no lie, just pure sincerity and a bit of vulnerable hope. He felt a deep and satisfying warmth vibrate throughout his chest as he accepted the revelation as truth. “That…” he leaned forward onto his knees to wrap his arms around his lover, tucking his nose into Tony’s neck and breathing in deeply to stabilize himself. “Never have I ever felt so important to someone as I do in this moment. I— Anthony, I am centuries old and I have never felt the feeling that I am feeling right now.” He pulled back to look into his love’s eyes. “Thank you, Anthony.”

Now it was Tony’s turn to be at a complete loss for words. But _god_ the way Loki was looking at him made him feel like he was the center of the universe. Or at least of Loki’s universe. (Which might as well be the known universe considering Loki was a mage from another world who could walk through space. —He was getting distracted again.) 

“Honestly, Loki,” he smiled softly, “I would do absolutely _anything_ for you. ‘Please’ or no—” and Loki was kissing him fiercely, hands gripping his jaw like his life depended on it. When they parted Loki rested their foreheads together and tried to catch his breath. 

“Anthony. I know my love may look different. Even unrecognizable to some…. But I can say with full confidence. I know that I love you.” 

“Lo’... I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've been in the hellscape known as twitter the past week promoting and (unfortunately [at having to]) defending #AromanticSpectrumAwarenessWeek. It's been at the forefront of my mind, and I noticed that what I had already written was very easily an arospec experience. I'm a demiromantic myself, so it honestly feels great to be contributing to some positive representation. I left it a bit ambiguous whether both Loki and Tony are Aro, Demi, or Grey-aro intentionally because they're very much at the beginning stages of trying to figure out their experiences together at this juncture. But they're definitely both on the aro spectrum here. Hope you've enjoyed!


End file.
